The Chance Heritage Trust has been awarded a grant of £250,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to money raised by National Lottery players with a further grant of £165,000 awarded by Historic England. The combined capacity building grants will transform how the Trust operates and will help to drive the regeneration and repurposing of the Chance Glassworks in Smethwick in the West Midlands.
For over 150 years, the former Chance Brothers Glassworks in Smethwick was the world’s leading glass manufacturer and a pioneer of British glass-making technology, operating from 1824 to 1976 and finally closing in 1981. In that time, the factory produced glass used in places like the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben’s clockface, and the Crystal Palace in London. It also developed specialist glass for telescopes and lanterns and, in 1848, began working on lenses which were eventually used in around 2,500 lighthouses around the world.
The funding will enable the Chance Heritage Trust to employ a project director and a small support team. They will continue to work with stakeholders in pushing forward plans for the regeneration of both sites for the benefit of the local community. Working with volunteers and the local community the team will develop a programme of heritage and cultural activities using the rich industrial history of these sites as a resource for people of all ages and backgrounds.
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Industrial Heritage Networks 